Through The Eyes of a Half-Blood
by v3Olympus
Summary: The world speaks of the heroic conquests of the demigods, be they Greek or Roman. What nobody knows is how each one of them felt, seeing their loved ones fall in battle as often as leaves fall off a tree- some new and green, some older and withered. A series of one-shots from the PJO fandom.
1. Monster

**Monster**

Summary*

**The world speaks of the exploits of Theseus, son of Poseidon, as he accomplished six major labours, and finally killed the Minotaur. What if the Minotaur wasn't really a monster? What if he was just a man pushed beyond his limits?**

It was never his fault. After all, he didn't choose his mother's actions, nor was it his idea to anger the gods. Then why is it that the world chooses to punish him? He knows that the world is cruel, yet this is too harsh a reality. Any child is born to be loved. No child is born a monster, and no one is born evil. It's the circumstance that makes them so. No one loved him. He was rejected. His own parents treated him like a beast, and then as a pawn. The very people who should have nurtured him starved and abused him. Was it his fault that he still turned out the way he did?

It began with his father, who refused to sacrifice the majestic bull in Poseidon's honour. It wasn't his mother's fault, at she paid for it. He was born Asterion, yet that was not what they called him. Ever since birth, he was treated as an anamoly, all because his father could not stand the shame his actions had brought upon him. His name was almost as ironic as that of Heracles himself, for they called him the Minotaur- bull of Minos- ironic because Minos didn't want him. What was worse was that Deadalus, Minos' advisor, suggested to use him to help Minos rise to fame.

If he was a monster, it was because they made him that way. No one ever disputes that Deadalus was a great inventor, yet what gave him the right to fashion a deadly maze whose sole intent was to keep him in? What father commissions such a project to trap his own son? What father sets a bounty upon his son's head? His half-sisters and half brothers detested him. After all, who can love a monster who eats men? Could they really blame him, though? They starved him, and the only ones he saw were men. When it is a matter of life and sustenance, can one really blame him for eating humans out of desperation? Somewhere within the monster, the man still lives. He's captive, yes. Captive and scared, but he is not dead.

The first time the humans were led into his lair, he was revolted. He shrunk with distaste and tried hard to wait it out until he had no choice but to kill them. As time passed, he grew more sure of his inhuman strength, and each life he claimed, he thought as a message to the man who should have been a father. Violently did he kill them, each time hoping instead that it was his father who was at his mercy. Killing his victims became a pleasurable and satisfying task as the monster within him festered and fought for control. This went on for many years, each one no different from the other.

Over time, this fire died down too. He was repulsed by what he had become. When had he decided that innocent lives would make a difference to the man who cared nothing for his own flesh and blood? He grew tired of being forced to kill. He resented the gods for the fate that was wrought upon him and yet, there was no way out save death. There was a time when he hoped that someone would put him out of his misery- that someone would kill him and leave him in peace, yet it would seem that such a hope would always go unfulfilled. Each time a man fought him, his monstrous instinct would kick in, and the red in his vision would clear away to reveal a dead man. Then, there were the times when he didn't want to die, for he held no trust for Hades' judgement.

He knew the gods cared nothing for him. For all he knew, he would still find himself in the Fields of Punishment. That's why he continued to fight for his own life, yet he still waited for the day someone would best him. That's when the group of sacrifices from Athens came. Seven men and seven fine women- all sacrifices as retribution for the death of Crete's eldest prince. Fourteen men he met by such way, yet none there were who could best him. Finally, upon the twenty seventh year did one such man arrive, and therein was his only hope.

Among those men was one he could easily recognize as a powerful young man. Dark was his hair and brown were his eyes- in them was a fire, and at that instant he knew that this would be a brave man indeed. Strong was body as was his mind, for he did not cower at the sight of him. He could detect his scent even before he saw the man before him. Adorning him was a great sword, yet he brought a ball of yarn too. The man must have won the favour of one of his half-sisters, for they alone, disciples of Deadalus, would know the way out. The man must have been confident indeed to be so sure if his return the way he had come. There was no fear in him, only power and anger. He must have been a hero- a son of a mighty Olympian no less.

He was not any less intimidating to see. Years if fighting had hardened him. Where his head should have been was a bull's face and horns. The rest if him looked like any other human with barely veiled strength. Where Theseus had a sword, his bare hands were weapon enough. He was both bull and man. He had both their strengths and almost none of their weaknesses. He would still fight. He would not give his life up to any undeserving warrior. With each passing moment, the strength drained from him, but even with his mounting anger, his hope grew too. It was all a flurry of movement to him- hands, legs and horns with flashes of the silver that stung every time they broke his skin. Finally, he was downed, yet as the blade came down, as it cut his throat, and as the blood gushed forth freely, he hoped with dying breath that after aeons of struggle and waiting, it had all come to an end.


	2. To Be a Traitor

**To Be a Traitor**

*Summary*

**Luke Castellan was a son of Hermes, but he was also so much more. Not much is known about his thoughts except the fact that he was the hero in the Great Prophecy, not Percy. What did he feel like, and what turned him over to the other side?**

A father who cares. A mother who was normal. A happy life. That is all I ever wanted. I didn't ask to be a demigod son of a man who cared nothing for us. I didn't ask to be the son of a woman who knew very well what awaited me when she made the decision she shouldn't have. I didn't ask to be used as a pawn in the games of those who deemed themselves worthier than I, yet it all happened anyway. My mother kept speaking of a future she saw for me, yet, by doing what they did, they pushed me further towards it.

I ran away from home, away from everything I knew, to make a life for myself. I found Thalia, and soon Annabeth too. We became each other's family, bound by a single promise to always protect each other. I remember the day Thalia and I met Halcyon Green. If I had hated the gods before, his story had only given me an even bigger reason to hate them. Not only did they abandon us to live amongst the monsters, they also wanted us to be selfish like them, and that was something that definitely didn't sit well with me.

After what seemed like an eternity of fending for ourselves, a satyr finally found us to take us to what he called a safe haven for people like us. He led us there even as monsters caught scent of our trail. Before we knew it, we were running for our lives again. This time,we lost the battle we had been fighting for so long. Grover lost the way and we ended up right where the Cyclops wanted us. If it hadn't been for Annabeth that day, we never would have made it out, yet far worse things than capture happened that fateful day.

The monsters caught up with us. None of us were in much shape to fight, and I didn't have a weapon to call my own like Thalia's Aegis and Annabeth's bronze dagger. Thalia told us to run for our lives. She told me to save Annabeth and that she'll be waiting for me after she holds the monsters off. I ran, but it wasn't enough to stop us from seeing the horror of it all. By the time I realized what Thalia had meant, it was too late. Help arrived from the haven they called Camp Half-blood, yet all that they found was the dying form of a young girl who had sacrificed herself to save her friends. They watched in awe as a blinding flash cut across the sky, turning the dying girl into a pine tree. Yes, awe, for none could have ever grieved Thalia as much as I did. Annabeth had been only seven, and Grover had hardly known us for long. I alone grieved for the daughter of Zeus.

The Camp, for a while, was like one big happy family. That was until I realized it was big, but definitely not happy. The first time, I got sent on what they called a quest. A quest to steal the Golden Apples from the Hesperides. It was supposed to be an honour, yet it hardly felt like it. They were expecting me to _steal_. Just because my father was the god of thieves, that just didn't make me the man for the job. Secondly, it was something Hercules had already done. It wasn't anything new or great. All I got from that was a huge scar that ran along my face, courtesy of Ladon. The only thing I got from the quest was a huge reminder of the cruelty of the gods. The laurel wreath bestowed upon me when I returned felt like a mockery instead.

The cabin that I had left half empty was now so full that there was hardly any space to call our own. The gods had children of their own, yet they didn't even bother to claim them. All the unclaimed had been thrust into the Hermes Cabin, forced to steal all that they wanted. The arrival of the new boy, Perseus Jackson, had only made it worse. He became the hero in a single day, all for killing the Minotaur. Then, he got claimed by Poseidon and sent on a quest. The campers forgot all about me, and even Thalia. That is when Kronos came to me. I hadn't known it was him at first. He promised a better world for us. A chance to make things better. A chance to live in a time where Annabeth would be safe with me and we would all be happy. All I had to do was kill Percy.

I started recruiting half-bloods for my cause. Silena helped me from within the camp. I had a sword to call my own, and things got better from there. Our army grew in numbers. The only downside was that Annabeth knew nothing of this. She had gotten so attached to Chiron and telling her would have blown my cover even before I got started. I tried to win her over when she came aboard the Princess Andromeda, but she refused. At least, I still won, because Annabeth returning with the Golden Fleece meant that Thalia would live. She at least would agree with me and Annabeth would inevitably join us. Moreover, it would give us one more chance to manipulate the prophecy.

I never thought I would feel the way I did when I saw Thalia. Not once in all those years did I think that she would rather kill me, but I did see the hurt in her eyes. I couldn't have just imagined it. Perhaps her pushing me over the cliffs had given me a rude shock. Perhaps seeing them trying to kill even Annabeth told me that the Titans would be even more unforgiving and cruel than the gods, but it was too late to go back. If Annabeth had joined me,I would have run again, but she didn't. I met her one last time before it all changed forever, and she said no. I knew then, whether or not victory awaited the titans, that would be the last I saw of her.

I went back to my mother one last time. I asked for her blessing. I knew I was being as cruel as Hermes, abandoning a woman who would wait with her sandwiches for a son who would never return, but there was no going back. The Styx burned at my very soul. Achilles warning I had tossed to the winds, and I chose the one place I knew no one would ever be able to hit. I thought of the promise I made to Annabeth and Thalia about always being a family. No matter what happened next, that would never change. Probably a broken family which in which we hated each other, but a family nonetheless.

When Kronos took over my body, I fought him. I wouldn't let him burn me away, and yet my power waned even as his grew. I watch now through Kronos' eyes as he pushed Ethan down to his death. As he hurt Annabeth. At that moment, he had unknowingly given me the power. That promise was the reason I hadn't burnt away. By hurting her, he had given me one last chance to defeat him and save my family. I looked over at Percy. He seemed to understand what I wanted and gave me the blade I had once gifted to Annabeth with that promise, and then, it all ended.

The pain was unimaginable. It was as though every fibre of my being was being charred from the inside out. It was only a small wound,yet it was fatal to me. I felt like I would explode into a million bits, and I knew the end had come. The job had been done.

_"Good...blade" _I said, though it came out like a croak. Annabeth was safe. Everyone else I knew had been saved. Ethan, me, we had all been driven to vengeance because we hadn't been recognized. Percy promised he wouldn't let it happen again, and for the sake of all that is good,I hope he keeps his promise. I ask one last question to ask Annabeth. I had to know. I had seen all the looks she had given me before I left Camp. She has always been my sister, but I must know before I leave forever.

"Annabeth...did you love me?"

_No_.

That was all I needed to hear before I left for the world of the dead. I had done so many things wrong, yet it hadn't been for my own greed. It wasn't that I hated those who had lived with me- I just loved my family more. The Great Prophecy had referred to me as a hero, yet only I, Luke Castellan, son of Hermes will know what it feels like _to be a traitor._


	3. Hidden in Plain Sight

**Hidden In Plain Sight**

Summary*

**Almost all wars in history have been won with the help of a spy. through treason and betrayal. Camp Half-blood is one place that never anticipated such an event, yet they found a spy in their midst. A camper none had ever suspected, for she too had suffered. What convinced her to do the deed?**

_Beauty. Love. _These two words mean the entire existence of my Cabin and I, and yet, the very same words brought about my downfall. They say that love transcends all boundaries. That love is both blind and deaf, and I cannot help but say that it is true. It is so hard to distinguish between the right and wrong, and even when you can, it is far more harder to act upon it. If I had picked up the courage any sooner, a lot of lives would have been spared. They are not wrong when they say love and war go hand in hand.

I should know, my mother, Aphrodite, has been quite responsible for many of them. I wonder if this is how Helen felt, away from home, surrounded by people willing to die for her whether she wanted it or not. I wonder if she felt as helpless as I, not being able to do anything as blood was spilt. I couldn't help but be reminded of Katoptris, which now lies hidden somewhere beneath heaps of weapons. I haven't had the courage to wield it. Not when I know what my actions will cause. Not when I know that my hands will be red with the blood of my family.

Love is a word too strong to describe what I felt then. I have known love and lost it now. I have had enough of it to know that what I had felt before was a farce, but that doesn't make my crime any less forgivable. It doesn't make things any less real. I had know Luke far longer than a lot many people at Camp. Perhaps not as much as Annabeth, but enough to know what he wanted. What he dreamed of for our people. Of all people, I should have known that he couldn't have truly loved me, yet that didn't stop me from heeding him anyway.

It all started with Luke. He started receding into himself. He wouldn't say much, he was easier to anger, though he seemed very much the go-to person for every new camper. He still played the nice guy, though he'd spend his time speaking to me of how we demigods deserved so much more. He wasn't wrong. It's true we've always been used and discarded like we mean nothing, and it didn't seem too wrong to change the world for the better. Or at least, that's what I thought.

He just wanted demigods to find their respect. A proper place in the world, and I agreed to help him. For a long while, it was nothing more than keeping a few secrets of his whereabouts. It hadn't gone any farther. It was only when I found love with Charlie that I realized how mistaken I was. I tried to end it all, and yet I had been buried too deep already. There was no way I could drag myself out, but plenty to go under. I went further on a single condition- Charles Beckendorf wouldn't be hurt in any way. If he was safe, then that was the best I could have. It didn't save the thousands of other lives at risk, but this was definitely the lesser evil.

I had hardly seen it coming, though, when Percy returned from his quest that summer. Luke had been brimming with jealousy, but even I hadn't expected him to go so far. He had tried to _kill_ Percy. _He_ had allied with Kronos to overpower the Olympians. That made not only him a traitor, but me too. I wonder what Charlie would make of that. We would find ourselves on the opposing sides of war, and I could only hope that we come out unscathed.

It had been me who had won a few half-bloods over to the other side. It had been me who had let those monsters into camp. It had been me who had covered for Quintus even as he traversed the Labyrinth. The deaths that occurred in those battles were as much upon my hand as Luke's or Kronos'. The only difference that they didn't care about it. It didn't bother them, but it bothered me. Sometimes, if Charlie wasn't there with me, I'd even pray that I wouldn't make it out of the war alive if it meant I wouldn't have to deal with the survivor's guilt. Would Charlie ever forgive me if he knew? Would he still have loved me as I love him?

I never got the chance to find out, and I don't know if I'm grateful or dejected. One thing was for sure that Luke had lost his hold on me the day it all went wrong. Beckendorf died on the Andromeda that day. Clarisse was there for me every time I burst into tears. Everyone tried to console me after his death, but how could I tell them that it was my own fault that he had died? How could I tell them that I cried more for my guilt than grief? The very girl who comforted me now wouldn't hesitate to impale me if she knew I was a traitor. Percy told me that my picture was the last thing he had seen before he blew the ship along woth himself. I knew I had lost him when Percy returned alone, but I had none other to blame but myself. My heart had shattered irrevocably, but I knew where I belonged now. By my hand or not, the war would end today, but not before I have a chance to fix what little I could.It was I who had told Luke of the argument between the Ares and Apollo Cabins. It was because of me that the demigods are facing a foe beyond their power. Be it by words or skill, I will not step back today. The Ares Cabin will fight today- whether or not Clarisse leads it.

I take Blackjack back to camp. It is surprising that Percy allows me to ride him, but he knows what is at stake. Clarisse is out. She has left her armour and boots. She isn't here to speak with me and time is of essence. The Ares Cabin will follow none but her, but what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them. I strap the armour on. It would hide my face well. When they figure out my identity, the deed would have been done. I know I am possibly charging to my death, but I will run from it no longer. I will find Charlie once more if he will have me. Death has always been awaiting those of my kind, but today, I will meet it in my own terms. I, Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite, will no longer spy for the enemy. No longer will I stay behind, an enemy in their midst, _hidden in plain sight._


	4. Battle Scars

**Battle Scars**

Summary*

**A lot has been said about Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, and the hero who returned the Golden Fleece. A drakon slayer she may be, but even she has lost a lot. Will she find love like the others did?**

**A/N: ****The parts that are italicized are either Clarisse's thoughts or dialogues.**

The battle had been won. Percy had managed to defeat Kronos and the prophecy had come to fulfilment. Percy and Annabeth had found joy soon after. The lives that had been lost had been overshadowed by the comfort they drew from the presence of the other, but for Clarisse, it was not so. She had lost her own battle that day, and she was still fighting another. Another battle which seemed to keep raging with no sign of an end to it, but she was a fighter- a daughter of Ares- and she would not give up. _Ever_.

_This wasn't the first time that I had lost a Battle, but it still hurt me the most. Maybe that's why I never made many friends. Silena had been the one person who had gotten that close, even if it had all begun with my instincts as a warrior to protect the weak. Not that I ever thought that of Silena. Now I know that Silena was strong in her own right, and I am proud of her, but it is too late, and I had no one to blame but myself._

_My pride had cost me a friend, and I would not let it get in the way ever again. I should have known, at least after my quest, that my pride had never mattered on the large scale of things, but now I knew, and I wouldn't succumb to it ever again. If finding joy meant letting go of my pride, so be it. If finding Chris once more meant throwing my pride away, so be it._

The next few days saw a drastic change in Clarisse. If anybody noticed, they said nothing. Clarisse spent days holed up in the rooms trying to reach out to Chris Rodriguez- the camper who had been a victim to the sorcery of the Labyrinth. Clarisse had never known why she had felt compelled to do so, but she had done it each day, hoping to find the boy, locked away in the broken shell of a person who had lost everything. She hadn't known if she'd even liked him or known him before, but seeing him return in such a wretched state told her all that she needed to know. She wouldn't give up on him when he needed her. Not now. _Not ever._

The first time she had approached him, her heart had twisted itself into a painful knot, but it never deterred her. It made her stronger. Each day she sat with him, his hands gently taken in her battle-hardened ones, she allowed her heart to swell with hope. She would tell him things about herself that no one knew. She would whisper sweet nothings every time he panicked. She would sing silly campfire songs with him if only to comfort him. Most of all, she allowed herself to be vulnerable with him. He did not need a warrior to find the light once more. He needed a person who would understand, and she would be there for him.

Time flew, and soon, the two of them decided that they would attend college. It was time they all went back into the world around them and tried to lead normal lives. They'd all seen their fair share of war and could hold their own if need be. The months that they spent away from camp worked miracles for the two. The more time they spent with each other, the more they discovered what they had been missing out on all the while, and what started as friendship soon grew into something _more._

Together, they did things they had never done before. Things as simple as laughing, talking, and going to the movies like normal people would. They had opened up to each other like they would to no other. Chris had seen her change. He had seen the way her face would light up every time he spoke to her. He had noticed how she seemed to know exactly what he needed, and he had seen her forsake her love of fighting, for _him._

If someone had told Chris a year ago that Clarisse La Rue could be gentle with anyone, he would have laughed like there was no tomorrow, yet here she was, willing to give up everything for him. He decided then. He would make her smile the way she made him. He would be there for her the way she was for him. He would do whatever he could to keep her happy. He'd do a lot of things for her. _Any thing._

Alas! It was not meant to be. Demigods never stayed together for long because of the danger that it attracted. Both were the children of major Olympians, and they could only go so long without being attacked. All it had taken was one monster to stumble upon them,and things had gone downhill from there.

Chris knew he was a liability. He was still only regaining his lost sanity, and he was a far cry from a trained fighter. Clarisse would have to fight for the both of them, but he would not let that happen. He would not endanger her life any further simply for the pleasure that it brought him. He would not drag her down with him. If he really loved her as he thought she loved him,he would let her go.

Clarisse was a daughter of war. She would never agree with what he told her. He would hurt her now if it meant she would be safe from the monsters. Safe from _him_. Thus it was that it had all happened.

"_Clarisse, I need to tell you something."_

He had felt so torn when he saw a genuine smile stretch across her face. Her eyes were shining with hope,and he hated that he would be the one destroy them, but he thought that it needed to be done.

"_You've been the light of my life these few months. You brought me back from the darkness. You saved me from myself, and I don't know how to thank you for all that you've done. I don't know what else to say Clarisse. You deserve so much more than me. You don't need someone who will pull you apart from your love for fighting. You don't need someone who will suck the life out of you like a parasite. You don't need someone who is broken beyond repair. You deserve much more than this Clarisse. You deserve much more than **me**."_

He watched as the joy drained from her face until all that was left was confusion, and bitter anger.

"_You **know** that's not true. You know that I do it for you and I don't mind. Why don't you understand? What is wrong?"_

He should have known that there would be no other way. She would never understand why. He knew she would willingly give everything up for him, but he would not do that to her. Having no other way out, he said the very words he knew would hurt the most. He said the words that would make him hate himself for saying them, but he did it anyway.

"_You love but a shadow of me Clarisse. There was nothing between us, nor will there ever be. There is another. My heart is lost to another. **Mary**."_

Clarisse felt like she'd just been punched. She had heard that name before. It was what he'd called her when she had first approached him. Had it all been a lie then? An elaborate lie that had brought her down? Had it all been for nothing? Did Chris truly feel nothing for her like the way she did? Was it all a ruse to break her? If it was so,then he had won. The famed drakon slayer had lost the battle.

"_Leave_", she said quietly, the emotion draining from her voice. "_Leave before I say or do something that we'll both regret. LEAVE!"_

Her eyes blazed with anger as she turned away from him, her hands bunched up into fists, trembling with uncontrollable rage. Chris did not wait any longer. He walked away from the girl he had come to love without saying so much as a word. If only he had turned around once more, he would have seen for himself what he had done.

Tears streamed down her face in little rivulets, the lighting around her making them look like tears of blood. Had he turned around just once, he would have seen the anger give way to a torrent of grief. He would have seen the broken warrior he had left behind. He would have seen her bleeding heart, and known that it was he who was to blame for it. She had only ever trusted two people. One had died, and the other had left her, taking with him a part of herself that was no longer hers to keep. He would have seen that she had lost the one battle that had mattered to her. He, Chris Rodriguez, son of Hermes, would have seen Clarisse La Rue, the drakon-slayer, daughter of Ares, walk away from him with another battle scar. The deepest and most grevious of them all. One that would forever be hidden from the rest of the world. One that would not heal for a long time to come.


	5. Forgotten

**Forgotten**

Summary*

**She was not cruel. She was not evil. Her only fault was not even her own. She was the daughter of a Titan. Not an ordinary one. She was the daughter of their general. She serves an unjust punishment in the prison she had once called home. Doomed to live in a land no man finds twice, with no company but her own. She is Calypso, the enchantress, and she lives alone, forgotten.**

All she wanted after all these years was company. No. Not even her freedom. Just somebody to talk to. There was a time when she had been bitter, and later, a time when she had hoped. Now, she knew that such fanciful thoughts would never come to pass. She had been gifted with everything one could have wished for- beauty, luxury, peace and why, she possessed magic too, but what she could never have was what she would always want. She was doomed to fall in love every time, only to be deprived of it, for all these men had a strong sense of duty and loyalty. Why couldn't she have been like any mortal, accepted by those around her? Every day in her life was a rejection. She was immortal, thus even _death_ had rejected her. She was a peaceful soul, and this heart her to no end. Why was she being punished, when her only fault was being the daughter of the enemy general? She had sided with him once, millennia ago, as any child is bound to. Zoë, her half-sister, had been forgiven, but unlike Calypso, she had forsaken her family for a man who'd ultimately stabbed her in the back. Why then, was _she_ the one to suffer?

Half the world had lived in blissful ignorance of her existence. The rest half either feared her, hated her, or both. She had thought that it would all change for good when she met Odysseus, stranded as he was, on her island. She had still been naïve, and believed that he had fallen for her just the way she had for him. She had held him a willing captive for months, which gradually turned to years. Not once had he openly refused her. He had heartlessly led her on. He had ruthlessly allowed her to hope for the life she could only dream of, but never have. When at last the raft arrived for him, she had believed with every fibre of her being that he would stay with her in a bliss that no one else could ever offer. She should have known. He was pledged to another. Penelope was her name. She was the queen of his kingdom and his heart, and would always be. She waited long for her husband's arrival, tending to her infant son. Calypso could understand the woman. She would not allow her to face the same cruel fate, awaiting one who would never come. She paid a needless price, but no amount of resentment would allow her condemn Penelope to the same fate with a clean conscience. She would let the man go, if only a little while later, but so ruthless were the gods that even that mercy was not to be granted to her. He left her without a second thought, with no remorse or hesitation. He gathered the supplies she had set out for him, boarded the raft and sailed away as the waves took him without looking back even once. Her tearful gaze followed him till he was but a speck on the horizon, still hurting from a painful wound that had been reopened by his apathetic rejection.

Many a millennia later, when Perseus Jackson landed on Ogygia, burnt and bruised, she had promised herself that she would not give her heart away once more only to have it broken. She quietly tended to him as he muttered in delirium. Annabeth seemed to be a frequent part of it. From the way he spoke her name, she could only guess that the two of them were together. Day by day she would work her magic upon him, willing the wounds to heal, watching him in his restless sleep. When at long last he awoke, they spoke of simple things. Despite herself, she could not help but watch in amusement as he took in his surroundings with childish fascination once he had overcome his weariness. Not long after, Hephaestus had paid them a visit. He had told Percy what he'd wanted to hear and learn but it was then that Calypso realised something. There had never been a way around her curse. Once more her affections had been lost to the _boy_ who had found her, and she could do nothing about it but face it sadly as fate took its course. Thus, she was not entirely surprised when Percy told her that he must leave to save his camp from annihilation. Upon his parting, she had gifted him a bit of her moonlace as a memory, and he had promisd that he would try and help her anyway he could,and with that,he was gone. She had heard of the promise he'd extracted from the gods in place of the immortality that was offered. She waited, and yet no help came, and once again, hope turned into resentment. In a minute of weakness she had wished her fate upon the girl Annabeth whom he loved so. If only she had known the price they would pay for it. She had wished many times more to undo the harm she could have done unwittingly, but a curse once placed can never be revoked, only altered. Every hero had to return to save either his home, or himself. If each hero was spent thus, _who would save her?_

She had heard tidings of the war that was waiting to rage. No. It wasn't the Titans anymore. It was a more sturdy and bloodthirsty race. The Giants had awoken. She'd had a few annoying visits from her grandmother, _Gaia_, but besides that, things had been the same as ever. She was her own company, and that would not change anytime soon. She thought she would finally lose it when a scrawny boy with a rather annoying sense of humour. She had found it beyond cruel that the gods were willing to mock her so, but the coming days had proven her wrong. She had once tolerated his presence, and helped him with all the repair work he seemed to be doing. At times, she would feel his gaze upon her, and she could only dejectedly accept the fact that she looked forward to it. Unlike the others, he had always wanted to go back home, but he had also been the only one to treat her well. Percy had been kind, but he had broken a promise. Calypso had started hoping that the raft would never appear,although she would never admit it out loud. In fact, she told him quite the contrary. It was her way of defending them both. It was his final act that broke the barriers down though. He had sworn upon the River Styx that he would come back for her, and even as the raft appeared, she had seen the gleam in his eyes tinged with the sorrow of what could only be unreciprocated love. The way his face lit up when she kissed him was proof enough, but she was no fool to dare hope that he would return. His oath would kill the one person who had dared to love her as she did, and she would continue living on the island unto eternity.

_Forgotten, on a land that no man finds twice._

**A/N: I'd received an anonymous review asking why Calypso blames Percy Jackson when he'd been suffering with amnesia and was at no fault at all. I thought it will be helpful if I put in here that it was not my idea, but rather in the book itself,mentioned by the _arai_ in Tartarus when Annabeth suffers under Calypso's curse, when she goes blind, and always out of Percy's reach. I thank whoever it was who had reviewed, for bringing this point to my attention. **


	6. The Dark Lord

**The Dark Lord**

Summary*

**Many of us know Hades to be one of the coldest Olympians. What was it that made him so icy? What were his thoughts during the wars that took place between Olympus and its foes? What if Hades finally decides to let go of the past and forgive everyone he never thought he could forgive? Would he change with the course of time?**

It is said that he is feared by all. Fear he commands, and respect, yet that is not all that he desires. The world of man means very little in the eyes of a god, their lifetimes but the blink of an eye, yet none have been able to give him what he wants. He is Hades, Lord of the Dead, one of the most powerful of the Olympians. Eldest of them all,yet the most misunderstood. No one cared for him,or what he felt. He was the outcast. The one they thought unfeeling, and so, took the liberty to keep hurting.

It had yet been peaceful after Zeus had first rescued them. It had been peaceful when they had still been gods and goddesses- not Olympians. He had been their eldest. He had been the one they looked to for guidance, and he had been loved. All that had gone down the drain with Zeus' coming. He had rescued them, yes, but in a way, he shackled them once more. Zeus called for a game of dice to decide who ruled which part of the world. The right would have been that of the eldest, yet he agreed to the suggestion. He should have known that luck would never favour him.

He got the least roll, and ended up with the Land of the Dead. Zeus got the sky, and all the living creatures in it. The earth was common ground, but given the role that Zeus took for himself, it was as much his domain as the sky. Poseidon got the seas and all the life that came with it. As Earthshaker, he too had a stake on the land. He saw no life anywhere. People call him gloomy, yet is it fair to expect cheer when surrounded by the dead? Is it fair to expect colour when all the colour of life has faded away? Is it fair to call him unfeeling when there is no one to help him feel?

He first found joy when he saw Persephone, Zeus and Demeter's daughter. She had been so different. So _alive_. At that moment, he had felt that she would be the one. His queen and significant other. He had not known if she would ever agree to have him, so he did the one thing he could- he asked Zeus. He never once thought that what he was doing was wrong. Never once did he stop to consider Persephone's feelings, but then, neither did Zeus himself. What he had done was wrong, yet it was only he who was blamed for the fiasco.

It seemed to Hades that Zeus' suggestions never ended well for him. He may have helped coerce Persephone into staying, but even then, she would return to the surface for a third of the year. As time passed by, he started becoming lonely again, yet each time he found himself suitable company, Persephone managed to curse the girl. Perhaps she wanted the two of them to be loyal to each other, something that was rare, if not non-existent, among the gods. That however, he soon found was not the case. Persephone may have thought that Adonis was a secret and he let her enjoy her ignorance. Getting involved with a goddess was one thing. Getting involved with two was entirely another, and he knew it wouldn't be long before Ares came after him. He wouldn't go after Adonis. _Yet_.

Years flew by as he tried and failed to find love once more. A World War had broken out among the children of the Big Three and it had been forbidden ever since, but he did not want to give Nico and Bianca over. He had finally found Maria di Angelo, and he didn't want to let her go. If only she had agreed to come with him but _no_, Zeus just _had_ to kill her. He had managed to hide his two children away, but it had all been for naught. He would never be able to see them grow. They would never love him, and he would never be allowed to see them, much less, love them. He would see them next when the died, and yet, he did not know if he awaited that reunion or dreaded it.

It pained him to be quickly pinned by the Olympians as the god who had turned. It pained him to see Bianca die. It pained him to see Nico struggle to cope with it all, and he found only one person to blame- Percy. He thought he had forgiven Percy after he had mistaken him to have been the one to steal his Helm of Darkness, but with the passage if time, Hades realized it wasn't so. The boy knew nothing of loss, yet he it was who would gain the fame and glory, all for being a son of Poseidon. Nico suffered because of him. Bianca died because of his broken promise. He would never be accepted in Olympus because Percy would beat Nico in being the hero of the prophecy. He would save them or doom them, and he would be back to being the villain.

It had been precisely for this reason that he had imprisoned Percy as soon as he had stepped foot in the Underworld. He wouldn't keep the boy forever, but he had no qualms about lying to his son and keeping Percy for a few years if it meant it would help him ad Nico. What he had not expected in the least was that his son would stand up for Percy after all that he had been through. He had broken Percy out and led him to the Styx. He had pushed Percy to become the hero of the prophecy by making him capable of facing Kronos himself. That day, Hades decided that he was proud of his son and always would be for all that he had done.

For a while after the war, things had gone smoothly. Nico had been accepted by those around him, and Hades as well. That is when the next war came. Nico had discovered that Bianca had chosen rebirth and saved Hazel instead. _Hazel_. She was another child he was proud of, yet he'd never be able to tell her himself. He could give her the gift of life, and that was the cost that came with it. He did what he could to help during the war, though he never fought it himself. He owed it to Nico, who had braved Tartarus himself. He owed it to Hazel who had once given her life up to defeat his bane. His children may still hate him for his unforgivable past, but he would be there for them, and the enemy would pay. He was, after all, _the dark lord._


	7. Hated

**Hated**

Summary*

**Almost the entire fandom hates her. A lot many more blame her for every wrong that was done to the heroes, be they Heracles or The Seven. Perhaps, after all these years, she has repented, but does that still mean she must be hated?**

Queen of the heavens. That's what they call me. A queen. What comes to your mind when hearing that word? Luxury? Power? Respect? Sure, I have all that, but the last, though it is that which matters most. Do not tell me, mortal, that you respect me. I know how well you claim to do so as do all of your kind, but you respect my power and position- not me as a person or goddess. Know this, that fear and power are two very different things. A lot of you hate me for what I have done, but think once for a moment, and perhaps you will realize that I was not all wrong.

It started soon after the Titanomachy. You have read stories of that time- do not deny it. You know much of what happened then, but not all of it. Perhaps I related best with Hestia, the eldest of us all, yet you see now where it got her. They call me the fairest of the eldest, yet it got me nowhere. Sometimes, I'll agree with you when you say beauty is a curse. In those days, the Greeks of whom we were patrons expected their womenfolk to take the highest bidder. I was sent to live with Oceanus and Tethys,so that they could 'tame' me. Women had no choice, yet the fact that I refused brought me nothing but talks of my 'haughtiness'. Is that what it is called these days, to want the right to decide the course of your eternal life?

You demigods know much about being toyed about with. Have you once thought that perhaps I feel that way too? That maybe the only time I interfered, it wasn't because I wanted to, but because I had to? Percy's fatal flaw is loyalty. You say with pride that he'd give up anything to save the ones close to him. Has it not occurred to you to forgive me when I act with the same intentions- to save my family? You live now in times where a woman can demand her rights, but such is not our custom. I am the goddess of marriage, yet it is ironic, is it not that _I_ have been tricked into marriage and shackled by it? It is true. I was seen as nothing more than a conquest, as are so many others. I am not cruel. I respected the laws, yet he stole from me what matters as much to a woman as a man- my pride.

For many a millennia, I cursed every woman or titaness he took a liking to, but it did not make me feel any better. I had thought that the pain of losing them would drive the lesson home, but I soon learnt that it did not matter. The were as much as a conquest as I was. As much of a victim as I. I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end, so I try my best not to bother any longer. I pretend I am not watching, but it still hurts, and even eternity is a time to short to forgive every offence that has been done to me.

When I finally decided that his power was leading to our ill- treatment, I helped stage a rebellion. It is true that what I did was not entirely right, but can you fault me for wanting some happiness and freedom in my family? I wasn't the only one either, but my punishment was most severe. For days he chained me above the Void, threatening to cut the chains off. Is that how I am to be treated? It is true I did not truly appreciate Hephaestus before, but can you fault me. Have you once thought how hard it would be for a mother to cast her own son off so that she wouldn't be ridiculed? I do not justify that act, but know that I did it all because I was hurt.

You, mortal, may speak of the time when Annabeth offended me. I know you have read of those accounts, and I do not deny anything, but know that there is another side. With every tale that is told, one goes untold. I spoke to let Thalia and Percy live when they were to turn sixteen. I helped Annabeth on her quest so that the two of them would not have to face anymore pain that was already fated for them, yet she threw that kindness back at my face. Every single incident that had to do with my sacred creatures- she blames them on me, though in fact, it was nothing more than an illusion that I created. After all, she did stoop low when she taunted me about my family- it is not a wise thing to do when I already have a lot to regret when it comes to them. I helped them even at the end, yet all she could do was accuse my statue of trying to kill her. Is that what I would do, if I could have already killed her so long ago?

Do you speak of the time when I stole Percy's and Jason's memories for six months? It was so that I could help stop the giants. The two camps had been divided far too long. Our aspects were splitting over and suffering, and if they didn't help each other, we would have gone down anyway. Have you never thought of the fact that Jason and Thalia found their lives because I took him away from his alcoholic mother? Or the fact that Percy found himself, learnt much and made new allies in those six months? The first war had begun with my capture and the same went for the second war too. Have you not wondered what _I_ felt like as a pawn, or a victim of their politics. No. Of course you wouldn't have thought of all that, for isn't this the way you make me feel? _Hated?_


	8. Betrayal?

**Betrayal?**

Summary*

**It is time to choose. The time to make a decision that she had never expected to face. She stands at a crossroads, and either way that she chooses, she will be lost.**

I do not know what to do. I had thought my life was in my hands, yet after all these years, I am wrong. I should have known, yet how could I when I have been brought up to be this way? To be a part of an empire built upon ashes and blood? I have always been Meg McCaffrey, a member of the Imperial Household. Never have I been Meg, daughter of Demeter. To sway either this way or that would be betrayal. To do anything would be treason towards one half of me, and to do nothing would be cowardice. On one hand lies the side that I had once called family. On the other are the people that I had once called friends. No matter what I do, I will lose.

Long have I been brought up under the Roman roof. Long have I lived with the two blades as my only solace. Nero is my father, yet sometimes, I cannot help but hate 'the Beast'. It may be easy for others to hate him, but it is not that easy for me. To me, he is my security, my protection. They are two different people. Every time the Beast is unleashed, it is my fault and mine alone. It got my father killed,and if I'm not careful now, a lot more lives will be lost.

I have never revered the Olympians much. I know that my mother is one of then, and father did tell me that she loved me, but when life treats you the way it treated me, it becomes hard to believe that. Apollo had only meant as much to me as the other Olympians. He had been nothing more than a task that I had to complete. I had all but detested him when he showed up in that alley, thinking himself proud and mighty, and then realizing that he had to be saved by a girl far younger than him, but now, seeing the desperation in his face, I cannot help but wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

Even when we had entered the camp, it had all been a part if the façade. I had to get there with Apollo, preferably alive, and I had to make him trust me. I had to lead him straight into Nero's trap, and that is well what I had intended to do. My job would have ended there. It would have been much easier if it had remained that way. Never did I expect that he would mean anything to me. That _anyone_ in that camp would mean anything to me.

It had not been my intention to find myself in the myrmeke's lair. I had not intended for him to save me. He was simply bound to me as it should have been, and we detested each other. I had not intended to hear so much sorrow from him, so much guilt. Such self-loathing. He had sung himself hoarse, all for what? I couldn't possibly feel indifferent after that. He may have been an oblivious and indifferent god, but he was helpless now. He was starting to care. I see it in the way he speaks to Will and Austin. He still loves his children. I'd have to be blind not to see that.

I had not known that it would come to this. That it would come to the burning of those campers along with the sacred woods of Dodona. I had not known that I was playing them into their deaths, but even if they had told me, would it have been any different? Nero raised me. He protected me after my father died. Would I have believed these people over his words? I do not know, and it troubles me.

If I do nothing today, those trees will burn and die, and with then, all those dryads, for no fault of theirs. Those campers will die, simply because they heeded the wrong call. If anyone is at fault, it is Apollo himself, but now, he will not be the only one who dies. They will all go down together. They will all burn. I'm a daughter of Demeter. I grow plants. I tend to the life in them. I cannot tear them down. I cannot burn them. I _will_ not.

I do not know what will happen to me if I stop Nero now. He has already warned me of unleashing the Beast. If I disobey him now, will it still be treason? I will have no home. I'll have to run from him and the others all my life, but which is the greater evil? Will I be able to live with myself knowing that the blood of so many innocents is on my hands? I think not. I must make my choice now, and soon. Either way, I will be an outcast. Either way I'll be a traitor, but being a murderer is far worse.

At that moment, I chose my friends over my family. This was my justice. Neither right, nor wrong, but just what had to be done. Peaches would not suffer because of me. The trees would not burn because of me. If those campers or Apollo had to die, it would not be by my hand. I had no part in their creation, and it is not my right to decide when to destroy. A lot of people who deserve life die, and a lot many more who deserve death continue to live. It is not my part to give them their death. It is only my part to do what I think is right.

I have made my choice, but I cannot face anyone after what I have done. I have heard the voices in the woods, and I have watched them burn and die of their own accord, but I cannot stay. I see Apollo come after me, but I am not ready to face him yet. I cannot face _myself_ yet. How can I, when every bit of my soul screams at being torn apart? How can I when I have let down all those who ever knew me? How can I when every fibre of my being resounds with a single word- _betrayal? _


	9. Solitude

**Solitude**

Summary*

**In a time of darkness, when he has lost his closest friend Leo the war, belonging to neither camp, losing his praetorship, Jason doesn't have too many people to bank on. This one-shot follows what I think would be the emotions of said demigod, his grief from the events of his past, for though he is surrounded by many, he is still alone, and in solitude. SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS!**

_Alone_. That was all he ever was. His mother had left him alone at the Wolf House when he was but an innocent child. Innocent to the cruelty of the world, the cruelty of fate, and the cruelty of the gods. She had promised to come back to him, only to abandon him forever. His sister, who had cried for him that day, and run away soon after was now oathbound to a goddess who had sworn off anything to do with men. He hadn't even been aware of her existence before the Giant War, and though they still held each other dear, it was not often that they met each other, or drew solace from the other's presence. His father was a god. Yet, he couldn't look to the heavens for guidance either. The one time he had met his father, he had gone a step too far, forsaking everything to spare his divine half-brother from undue punishment. Then there was Rome. He had lived and bled for her. Yet,he'd always known that though he lived for Rome, she would not hesitate to turn her back on him. He still remembered the day he had come back on the Argo II. His cape may have marked him as praetor, but that did not win him an honourable welcome to the one place he knew as home. In the ensuing chaos, his fellow legionares hadn't even blinked an eye or hesitated before the attacked him like they attacked any other Greek. He had stood to defend Piper and tried to explain to the Romans as he bled that he was still one of them, but nothing had stopped them from disregarding him like he was nothing.

When they had left on their quest, things had finally started to look better for Jason. He had Piper,and though things weren't as smooth with them as it was with Annabeth and Percy, he couldn't have asked for more. Though the competition for dominance between Annabeth, Percy,and him often showed up, it had not affected the rapport between Argo's crew. During a short span of time, they had all become family. That was one of the reasons the aftermath of the war had almost left him broken. Not only had everyone parted ways, but Leo had died and he was all but powerless to prevent such misfortune from befalling them. In fact, he and Piper had been unconscious when Leo had died. They hadn't even gotten one last glimpse of him. With Dylan hitting on Piper, or Piper speaking to Annabeth and having her own problems in her cabin to deal with, Leo was the only one who had been Jason's constant companion. He had taken Leo's presence for granted, spending most of the time aboard the Argo with Piper, while Leo kept working on the controls and upgrades. He would never again get a chance to get to know his best friend and the girl he had promised to return too. "Why couldn't it have been me? " he often wondered. It had been him who'd made so many promises to Piper. Leo had made only one,and yet, it'd cost him his life. At least, Annabeth had made peace with Luke before his death. Jason hadn't gotten that privilege either. The seven was, and would always be incomplete without their 'Repair Boy'. Things at camp were reasonably okay, but he never knew when it was all going to end. He had started making good on his promise to Kymopolia, and his project was progressing well, but that was about it.

Finally, there was Piper. A while after the War, quite some time before news reached them that Apollo had really become a mortal, Piper's dad had fallen into great misfortune. His previous secretary, Jane, had aided the ones who had masterminded his downfall from nationwide fame and glory. From then on, matters continued to go downhill. Piper had ended their relationship. She had to discover herself, she said. Our relatioanship started of as a lie,and I still need time to figure it out, she said. If Leo's death hadn't left him a shell of his previous self, this certainly did. He was alone again. In order to let go of the bittersweet memories he joined a boys' school with little to no access to anyone else,spare an occasional monster or two, which he dispatched with ease. It was around this time that he and Piper ventured into the Burning Maze. It had only served to make things worse. He had been handed a prophecy that spoke of death in every sense. He knew staying out of the maze was not an option. It was only a matter of time before Apollo sought them out for their help. They may not be together anymore,but that didn't mean that they'd stopped loving each other. He would still give his life to save hers.

It wasn't long before Apollo met Piper and then visited Jason at his school. He knew time was running out. Moreover, as a former god Apollo's life was not expendable. He had one chance to make his life count, and he took it. Apollo may not have seen Jason as his brother, and Jason certainly found it hard to think of Apollo that way, but for the first, and perhaps last time, he gripped Apollo's shoulders as a brother would. "Promise me" he said. "Promise me you'll remember what it is to be a mortal." He would give his life to save Piper's and Apollo's. Apollo would lose the brother he'd just met,and Piper would lose a part of herself with him,but it was for the greater good. He had said all that he had to say, done all that was to be done. His mind was made. He would walk into the Burning Maze one last time, never to return. He would never see Leo, despite knowing that his friend had come back alive. While his friend was out saving the place that had once been his home, he would leave the world forever, leaving Leo and Thalia to suffer just the way he had all these months. Thalia. Even as he was struck by arrows, he wanted to teach out to her one last time. Even Hazel, Frank and Reyna if he could. His sister had once lost a brother in Luke. In fact, Jason himself had been long lost to her. She would lose him once more, only this time, it would be all too real. There would be no reunion. She was a huntress, nearly immortal. They would meet once more neither in this world nor the next. There would be no goodbyes. Only regretful thoughts of the family they could have been. It was selfish in a way,but it had to be done. He fought with all that he had as a demigod, a son of Jupiter no less. He fought for all the times he had felt joy, so that others could feel them too. He fought for the pain and anger too, so that no one else would have to feel them. He had promised himself that the others would make it out alive that day, and he was a Roman who kept his promises. As the spear pierced him through the back, he knew it had all ended. He felt pain he had felt only once before when the Imperial gold blade had nearly claimed his life force. This time, however, Piper wouldn't have his back, to draw him back to the world of the living. He was beyond saving. He would die a mortal death with a great legacy, but what was it worth when he died as he had been in life- _with glory, but also in solitude?_


	10. The Curse of Life

**The Curse of Life**

Summary*

**Thalia Grace had never wanted to become a Hunter. It was a decision she had taken when left with no better choice. Granted partial immortality as a blessing from the maiden goddess Artemis, Thalia ponders if that in itself is her curse- to see her loved ones die and fade away while she endures?**

I'm too powerful, they had said. A half-blood of the eldest gods would be their downfall, they said. Unfortunately, that meant that I was a threat too. The prophecy was not mine to fulfil, which meant I had to stop growing. It meant I had to do the one thing I had refused to do all those years ago. I had to join the Hunters of Artemis. Luke and Annabeth were the two people I had refused for. Then, I knew I had nothing left to fight for. Annabeth had Percy. For good or bad, Luke was gone though I'd refused to believe it. There was no choice left for me. Not anymore. The goddess of the moon has always blessed those of us that had pledged ourselves to her service. Sometimes, I wonder if this is how we were meant to be. I wonder if we are indeed, praying the price for our past deeds instead.

Death never makes things easy for anybody. Those who die are gone for ever, with many an unfulfilled wish, but it is those who live on that bear the brunt of it. The guilt in itself can drive you insane. Kill you. We demigods are no stranger to it. Not all of us have parents to look out for us. We've seen death and destruction ever since we stepped out into the whole wide world,but one can never get used to it. It has always been this way. Kill, or be killed, but the pain of loss never goes away. Dealing with Jason's disappearance was one of the hardest things in my life. If I hadn't joined the hunters back then, it was also because, deep down, a tiny part of me had always believed that I would find him some day. He would make it to the camp, and he'll be part of my life again. I had never been one to coddle him as a kid, and how I'd regretted it the day he'd gone. There was no warning. _Nothing_. Mother hadn't said a word about it ever since. To her, he was dead. That was the day I finally ran away. If she wasn't going to find him, I would gladly do so myself. Little did I know that the world outside was not meant for innocents. I wasn't always as I am now. The girl people saw now was the one who'd been forced to grow up into a bully much before her time.

I spent days running around in search of a shelter. I searched desperately for a brother who didn't even know that I existed. Even without the monsters that would attack me on occasion, the people were no better. The boys on the street would hurt me, until the day I knew it had to stop. That was the that I'd stood up for myself, and I've had to do so ever since. That was when I came by Amalthea. I don't know why, but I followed her that day, and I'd been glad that I did, only, now I'm not sure about it anymore. I'm not sure about anything. It was from my time with Luke that I learned that family was not bound by blood, but rather by love. My mother's death hurt me. Scared me, even, but those days were gone. I had to move on. There never was a choice and there never will be.

Often, I have wondered what Luke and Annabeth felt when I was snatched away from them, living on as a pine tree instead. Now, I know. For a while, it had seemed to me they were lucky that I still stood as a reminder of our 'happy times'. It is only now that I realize that it was instead, a painful reminder of my death that they'd lived with each day of their lives. Would Luke never have betrayed us if not for my death that day? I'll never know. I don't think I want to know. At the end, he had died a hero, but could I accept him for all those he'd killed? Zoë, Bianca, Silena, Beckendorf, Castor, Lee Fletcher, Michael. So many of them. So much blood on his hands. While he has moved on, I live to see those days time and again. My failure to save Luke from himself. The what if? will haunt me forever. The Giant War was no better. I had come to accept my place in the hunt, bound to my sisters as much as I was bound to the goddess. Not much love was lost between Phoebe and I, but her death still hurt. We were supposed to have each others' backs and I'd failed her. Not only as a Lieutenant but as a sister. Orion had payed, but not enough. As a giant,he would be reformed, but what of her companions? They were gone forever.

When I had finally found Jason, my heart had wept with joy. He would be my family again. Be a part of my life no matter how many years lay between us. I was _wrong_. I hadn't gotten to say goodbye then, and now, I wouldn't get that chance ever again. I'd had a second chance and lost that too, without ever telling him how much I'd loved him. I never told him how happy I was to have found him once more, or how lucky I was to have been his sister. I was almost always away on a hunt, taking him for granted. I hadn't been there for him when he'd needed me most. He had mourned Leo all alone, and I hadn't even pretended to understand how much the boy had meant to him. I hadn't been there for him when Piper had ended it. He'd gone to a boarding school and I'd always assumed that he would be fine. Now, it was too late. My brother was dead, and I hadn't known it. He'd been killed by Caligula, and I hadn't been there to pretect him like a sistsr should. He was truly gone. He'd left me behind for real, to a place I couldn't follow him to. I was almost 'immortal'. I would live long after he was gone, guilt eating away at me while I still lived. Perhaps that was my curse. _The Curse of Life._


	11. Reflection

**Reflection**

Summary*

**Piper has never had an easily life. A negligent father, and absent mother, and a mixed heritage have done her no favours. Thrust into the dangerous life of a demigod and faced with tough choices, she has changed, but is it for the better or worse?**

_Look at me, you may think you see who I really am, but you'll never know me.__Everyday, it's as if I play a part. _

They think I'm a nobody. They are not all wrong. I'm a half Cherokee who never knew her mother. I'm a nobody to my father. They think I'm conceited. They'll never know that I refrain because I see what fame can do. They see a girl with choppy hair. They'll never see the girl within me- the girl who suffers for no fault of hers.

They call me a demigod now. They think I am the daughter of an Olympian. They treat me like a friend and sister- like family- but this is not who I am. I will be their downfall, for if I do not comply, they will be my doom. The smiles are a façade I can hold no longer, the laugh a farce I can no longer keep up. It is all a play- a tragedy.

_Now I see, if I wear a mask I can fool the world,__But I cannot fool my heart._

I look into the mirror now. The blessing of Aphrodite, my mother, has not left me. It is a mask. My tears run in rivulets, yet the mask refuses to crumble. The mirror lies to me. I am no beauty. The beast lies within me. I am ugly, for that is what death will look like when I bring it upon those who love me as their own family. The white and gold is a trap. It is ironic. It is a mockery of my fate. I am no innocent. I am a trickster who hides behind the beauty of it all.

I am a traitor. I am a spy, like Silena was, yet I am no hero. She fought to remedy her mistakes. I fight to save my father, yet I would be killing so many innocents. I would be betraying their trust. I go now on a quest with Jason and Leo to save them, yet none but I know that I am leading them to their deaths. I can fool those around me, but I'll never forgive myself. When they die, I will too.

_Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?__When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

The girl that looks back is not Piper. She's not me. The girl who stares is not the beloved daughter if Tristan McLean. She is the black sheep of the family. She is a pawn in the games of an evil force she fails to comprehend. She is a coward who doesn't know how to save her father without destroying his world. A girl who has false memories of the one she thought was her boyfriend. She'll never get a chance to see who lies behind the mask, for death will long claim her before the time comes.

_I_ _am __now in a world where I must hide my heart, and what I believe in_

_But somehow, I'll show the world what's inside my heart and be loved for who I am._

In a world of gods and monsters, I am stuck playing a game of cat and mouse-one I am destined to lose, for I am the bait. If I speak, my father dies, and if I don't, I will be a traitor. My cabin believes love is breaking a person's heart, yet I believe love is to make a broken heart whole again. Is this what my life will be? Playing hide and seek with my thoughts, burying them as secrets never to be told?

My thoughts and deeds hide within me, but I will face them. I will tell them the truth. I care deeply for Jason. Leo is a brother I never had. They will love me for me, as I love them. Someday, when all is said and done, they will know who I was, and I will hide no longer. They will know what drove me to treason, yet they will see my heart is true. Somehow, be it in life or death, they will find me, and we will all be happy once more.

_Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me__Why is my reflection someone I don't know?_

The quest is over. The prophecy has been fulfilled. I have Jason now, yet why does it still feel like I am nothing? Why do I not know who I am? Why do these feelings still plague me, and make happiness so elusive? The girl in my reflection is broken and confused. She contemplates something I would never do, yet it is the undeniable truth. The girl in the mirror is a hypocrite, for she will now prove herself worthy in the eyes of her half-sister Drew Tanaka. She will break hearts just because 'She needs time'.

Having escaped the Burning Maze once, my reflection has been forever changed, yet it is still a deception. My hair is singed, and my face is scarred, yet my traitorous eyes still hide their secrets. Why do I detest him for protecting me? I told him once to catch me if I fall. Even after I have left him, he pulls me away from the jaws of death. When did the girl in the mirror become as ungrateful as me? I do not know. She is not me.

_Must I pretend that I'm someone else for all time.__When will my reflection show who I am inside?_

Jason is gone. He will be given to the winds in New Rome, the place he called home. In my haste I have lost the one tether I had. Who am I? What am I? I told him I needed time, but now that he is lost to me, why does it become crystal clear? Why do I look into the mirror and lie to myself? Why do I pretend that I don't love him when a part of me died that day too? Why do I still pretend that it isn't my fault, when it all started with me? Why do I crumble in Leo's arms as though I am the victim of this game? Is this what I am to be for my lifetime? _A hollow mask, and a blurred reflection?_


	12. Invisible Forever

**Invisible Forever**

Summary*

**War is cruel. So is death. Will Percy get through them unchanged? Will he brave all his trials? What happens when the one person he loved sacrifices herself for him? What will he do now, as he sees the Seven wilt and fade away as demigod after demigod dies?**

A red sun rises today. To the world, it is a perfect day. The birds are chirping, enjoying the company of their mates. The sky is clear and blue. The sun shines bright and the trees rustle in the gentle breeze. The flowers in all their wonderful colours light up the world, welcoming them to a new cycle of life. Life bubbles both within and beyond the sea, but to me, everything is now a mockery. A mockery of that which I have lost. A cruel mockery of life itself.

The world holds no colour now. It is all so bleak and dull. I hear not the chirping of loving birds. I hear the mourning tunes that lay buried within birdsongs now, crying for the loved one that they have lost. I see not the clear blue sky. It is empty. I see not the glorious sun. I see a god whose life was owed now to not one, but two of my friends. The world holds no joy for me now, because it all died the day she did.

She was a hero. She always has been, and will always be.Was this to be our fate ever since we met? Was it our destiny to be forever apart? Would we never have the happy life that we desired for ourselves? We had never expected to live too long, but to have such a harsh reality driven home so soon hurt beyond anything I have ever felt before. I would never be absolved of my guilt, for I know it is my fault and mine alone. The say that fatal flaws can kill you and it is true. I died that day without being killed.

_It seemed like any other day, but unknown to the rest if the world, a battle was raging. Not the kind of battle that would be sung and praised in ballads and legends, but a battle no less. We fought to rid the world of the Roman Emperors who had lingered for far longer than their time, cheating death for longer than they deserved. We fought to help a god regain his rightful place among the Olympians, but we also fought for something more. **Vengeance**. How many of our own had died for their greed and cruelty? How many young lives thrown away needlessly, for neither fame nor glory? How many sacrifices in the name of war?_

_I had been prepared to die that day. I had not given up in any way, but as a demigod, I knew any fight could be my last, and it had most definitely looked the part that day. I had mentally said my farewells to everyone that I had held dear. My mother, Paul, my father, my friends, my unborn little sister, I had bid them all goodbye. All save the one that I had loved. I had never stopped to think that the jaws of death would clamp down on her that soon. I would always be there to protect her, with my life if need be. She was much too smart to be trapped like that, and much too proud to bow down even to Death himself._

_There wasn't much else for me to think about as a charged headlong into what I thought would be my last fight. It was a desperate situation. It is not everyday that you find yourself facing three undead Roman Emperors. Each one more bloodthirsty than the other. We were no longer The Seven, but a group of determined demigods and a fallen god, trapped in a race against time to restore Apollo's divinity._

_We had made it past Tarquin's tomb, but little did I know that it would claim one more life. Reyna had led her people alongside Frank, holding of the others while we fought the emperors themselves. Piper, Meg, and Apollo were heavily outnumbered against their foes. They were fighting a losing battle, and someone had to help them. Someone had to tip the scales so that they could succeed. Jason had died to save them, and I owed it to him to at least try._

_I fought Nero. It seemed we had a score to settle. The last time I had seen him he had tried to destroy my home. It was by no means easy, though I would have fought him time and again if it meant that she could live once more. She had faced Caligula for a time, blade against blade, but he was an opponent beyond any of our skills. He had centuries to perfect himself, and we were but a bunch of armed teenagers in every sense of the word. Bravely did we face the two emperors, but it wasn't enough._

_I had known that Caligula would never fight fair, the enemy never did, and yet I had not bothered to look twice at him. I had known that it was he who had ended Jason's life, and yet, it was Nero that I faced. Annabeth fought by my side, taking advantage of the invisibility that her mother's gift had bestowed upon her. I should have known. I should have seen it coming but I did not. After all, she was the Wise Girl, but I should have known. I should have done something._

_Even after all these years of fighting, it seems I have not changed, though I now wish I had. I fight to save those that are dear to me, often forgetting to defend my back. She and I had often fought that way. Invisible or no, we knew where the other would falter, and we fought as one person, protecting each other. That day was no different from the others, but one thing had changed. Caligula had stolen away from me once more that which mattered most. He had tried to kill Apollo the way he had killed Jason,and I had tried to intercept the blow. I had not realized what was happening until it was too. I had braced myself for the impact, yet it never came. She had once taken a blade for me, and she did it once more for me. She died to save **me.**_

_I had fought then like never before. Our trials had been completed, but what use was it when I had lost the one battle that mattered to me? Apollo had become a god once more, but even the gods are powerless against death. She loved me, as I had loved her. She had known what my flaw would do to me, and she had let it kill her instead. She knew even before she died that nothing could save her from the pain that it would bring. She knew that I would do anything to save her, and so she left me no choice. Even in death, she had chosen to leave before her time, to save **me.**_

I stand alone now watching her shroud burn. A shade of grey as deep and startling as her eyes had been in life, but now they only remind me of a cold and unfeeling stone. A reflection of myself. In that moment, I was truly alone. She had been there every time I had lost someone. She had been there for me, but I had failed her. She had held me as we mourned Jason together. I saw in her a caring friend as she held Piper, who had lost so much, with so many words left unsaid. So many regrets. I saw in her a kinship so strong as her tears mingled with Thalia's, who had lost everything that she had just found. I saw in her a love as great as mine as she searched for me tirelessly the six months that I had been missing. Together, we had mourned with Leo who had come back home, back from the dead, to find that his dear friend had left him forever without so much as a goodbye.

I saw in her a loving cousin each time she met Magnus. What would I tell him now? That his one living relative had died because of my folly? What would I tell her father and her family? That the girl they had entrusted me to protect had been lost? What would I tell Chiron? That his favourite student had failed? What would be said of me? That I had driven the wedge deeper between Athena and Poseidon? It mattered not anymore. She had been everything to me, and now, I too, was left with nothing.

She had mourned Jason as much as I, and we had healed together, side by side, with the unspoken promise that we would never leave each other again. _Never_ would we let anything part us save death. All those years ago, she had promised me that she wouldn't die when I yet owed her something. _Why now, Annabeth? Why now, when I owe you even my life?_

The flaw was mine. The fault was mine, and yet she paid for it all in the name of love. I had killed us both that day. Her invisibility cost me so much that day. I would have given anything to see that face one last time. To see those golden curls as they gleamed in the sunlight, like a fiery halo. To look into her soulful eyes as she told me that she loved me. _You said you'll never leave me!_ I wanted to cry, but the fight was lost, and so was I.

I am no longer the Seaweed Brain that she loved, for without his Wise Girl, he ceases to exist. Every day, I live in her memory, seeing her in all that is fair, and all that was once loved. I am but a seaweed, adrift but lost in the sea of grief, floating towards an unknown destination. The days mean nothing now for the hurts are too deep to be healed. The void will never be filled again, eating away until it is all over.

I will find her once more, and that day we will meet beneath the stars, when no one, and nothing will be able to part us again. We will meet in the starlit gardens when a lone nightingale sings its lament, the flowers around us never wilting in death. All shall be well once more, and so shall I, knowing that she is with me. There shall be only the two of us, lost in our love for each other, safe from the tears and hurts of the world, and in each other's arms, we will be at peace.

Till that day comes, I will be waiting, doing what she bid me do. The seas and gulls will sing to me no longer, neither will my blade hum as I swing it. Blackjack and Guido will soar in the skies, free from the needs of the one they had chosen as their masters, and the lives at camp will move on, while I, Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, continue to believe that Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, still lives on in me, just _invisible forever._


End file.
